Power on Trial: Judge in Mangano trial also presiding over Spota case

When worlds collide

A former Nassau town supervisor, a former Suffolk district attorney and his former chief of corruption were all in the same courtroom as defendants at the same time Thursday afternoon — while a former Nassau county executive, his wife and their attorneys sat on benches outside.

It happened during the lunch break in the trial of Edward Mangano, Nassau’s former county executive, his wife, Linda, and John Venditto, Oyster Bay’s former town supervisor.

Fifteen minutes before the trial was to resume, former Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota and his former chief deputy, Christopher McPartland, stood at the Mangano/Venditto defense table awaiting a hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Joan M. Azrack — the same judge hearing the Mangano/Venditto case.

Before the hearing, Mangano and his wife, Linda, left the courtroom.

Venditto stayed seated inside, where he, from time to time, glanced toward Spota and McPartland.

Robert Trotta, a Suffolk legislator and former county detective, along with former Suffolk police department Det. John Oliva, sat in the back bench on the defense side of the room.

After the hearing, Spota and McPartland left the courtroom and walked down the hall, passing Mangano and his wife, Linda, along the way.

A few minutes later, the after-lunch session of the Mangano/Venditto trial resumed.

What a difference a day makes

As his law partner William Savino did before him, William Cornachio Wednesday, looked directly at jurors at several points during his testimony one day later.

The jurors appeared to remain attentive — a far cry from the reception Savino had received from many jurors.

Cornachio, unlike Savino, for example, said he could remember more than lawyers being at an April 2010 meeting during which his law firm, the politically connected Rivkin Radler of Uniondale, told officials that using Oyster Bay’s good credit to back a loan for restaurateur Harendra Singh would be against the state Constitution.

Cornachio said he remembered — and was surprised — to see both Venditto and Mangano attending a meeting at which he had expected to see Singh and officials from Oyster Bay town attorney’s office.

He also said he did not know that another attorney, Jonathan Sinnreich, the town’s outside counsel, also had been asked about the possibility of Oyster Bay backing Singh’s loans. According to earlier testimony, Sinnreich also had advised the town of the state constitutional prohibition.

And while Cornachio, like Savino, was precise in describing the law firm’s work for the town, Cornachio was able to break it down into understandable terms — during most of his testimony — often while being humorous.

In the days after the April meeting, Cornachio told jurors, he came up with a way for the town to avoid the state prohibition.

One key was that the value of capital improvements made by Singh would have to be at least equal to the amount the town would pay him in case Oyster Bay ended the concession agreement or Singh defaulted on his loan.

Under the suggested changes Cornachio made for the concession agreement, the money Oyster Bay owed Singh would instead go to Madison National Bank to satisfy the loan in case of default, or if the town exercised its option to cancel the agreement.

“Otherwise, according to someone who is in the White House,” Cornachio explained, “it would be a bad deal.”

A hard knock

Kevin Keating, as he began his cross-examination of Cornachio asked the lawyer how to pronounce his name.

“It’s Cornachio,” the attorney answered, sounding a hard “KNOCK” as the second syllable of his last name.

But then he said “it’s Cornachio,” sounding the same syllable as a soft “NOTCH” — the way lawyers and witnesses had been sounding it in the courtroom for weeks before the lawyer took the stand.

“You are not Italian, obviously,” Cornachio went on, addressing Keating.

“I’m tempted to say something,” Keating, who is representing Edward Mangano, Nassau’s former county executive, responded, as the courtroom broke into laughter, “but I won’t.”

Later, however, he praised Marc Agnifilo, the lawyer for former Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, as the attorney began his cross-examination.

“I notice as an Italian, you correctly pronounced my name,” he said, as laughter broke out once more.

House music

Another limousine driver made his way onto the witness stand just before morning break Thursday, as prosecutors continued to make their case that former restaurateur Harendra Singh — allegedly as one in a stream of benefits in exchange for official acts — footed the bill for rides made by Venditto and his family members, along with others.

The driver, Noel McClean, prompted by a trip ticket, remembered driving Chris and “another woman” from their home to the Barclays Center and back.

According to earlier testimony, the passengers were Venditto’s wife and daughter.

McClean said he took them to a Barbra Streisand concert.

He also testified about another trip to Barclays, when the passengers included Sal — who, according to earlier testimony, is Mangano’s eldest son.

McClean said he took them to a concert by Swedish House Mafia.

It’s a band you may think you’ve never heard of.

But check Spotify.

Their big hit is, “Don’t You Worry Child.”

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